The Survival Race

For the past couple years, I've heard about and seen pictures of various mud runs and always think they look pretty fun. So when a Living Social deal came through for one in Dallas, I was on it. Not everyone thought it sounded so amazing (cough cough, Sarai, cough), but Lizzi agreed to do it with me. The race was at some random paintball field in the middle of nowhere and had 8 obstacles over the course of a 5K. Here's the rundown...

1. A football training-camp-esque tire run. Turns out we were supposed to run on top of the tires vs. doing high knees through their centers. Live and learn.

2. Crossing a mud pit...via a tree branch.

3. Climbing up a muddy incline, while some A-hole sprays a hose at your face.

4. Trudging through a muddy creek where Lizzi ate it, I made fun of her, and then God laughed in my face as he struck me down too.

5. A rope thingy-ma-bopper that you climb up and over. This was definitely the scariest one. Don't let the look on my face fool you; I was smiling so I wouldn't cry. Lizzi, on the other hand, looks pretty confident.

6. Some stupid cement spindle that you're supposed to climb over. The guy working at that stop (and Lizzi) had fun watching me run and try to jump over to no avail not once, but twice. Then the two-part grand finale of...

7. A crazy high* blazing fire pit you have to jump over *crazy high = 4 to 6 inches off the ground

8. A big sloshy mud pit with barbed wire down low that you have to crawl under on your stomach. This was clearly my favorite one...hands down. I can't promise that Lizzi and I quite went for it like this lovely gentleman in the picture – I'm just assuming that's a man – but you've got to appreciate his effort.

Lizzi was hungover for the entire thing and forgot her inhaler, so it was more of a mud stroll than run, but we had fun and got some good pics. Hardcore, right?

46 Days of Baby G

Here I am, back again, from a little blogging hiatus. There's definitely no better place to pick up than with all the gooshy details about my newest nephew, Graham.

Before we get to the big day, I should rewind even further to the baby shower we threw Anne back in May (I'm so late, I know). We had Jill design cute invites to coordinate with Graham's bedding and used them as inspiration for circus themed decorations. All in all, I think it was a success, and it was really cool to see all of Anne's friends so excited to celebrate with her.

Then, after much anticipation, Graham made his debut on July 1st. I know I'm biased, but he was seriously the cutest newborn I've ever seen. Maybe the only time being a chunker is a good thing is as a newborn, and he knocked this one out of the park. At 9 lbs, 5 ounces he was the cutest little tub 'o love you've ever seen, with little round and delicious cheeks. The timing was perfect, too, because everyone was able to visit a bunch over the long weekend.

Anne and Mark's house is just down Northwest Highway from my office, so it's been awesome to be able to sneak away during lunch every now and then for visits (and to give Anne a chance to shower!). This pic was taken a couple weeks ago, when he was about 4 weeks old. He's the cutest, right? I love you, Graham! (And your awesome momma and daddy too!)

Facebook Fail

One of my clients is Blue Plate Mayonnaise and they have a new FB page which I was asked to "like" this week. I just looked at my profile.

Such unfortunate – yet ironically insightful – timing.

The Jimmy

Due to popular demand, I’m going to try to get back on the blog train. I haven’t posted in eons (I know…I KNOW), but I have made a few notes along the way of blog-worthy topics, so I’ll start there and see what happens. Here goes…

This first one begins with me needing to bring my car to the shop but not wanting to feel the usual credit card sucker punch that tends to come alongside such visits. To sidestep the sucker punch situation, I brought my car to a little local shop that a bunch of people at work use and recommend. Great, let’s do this.

When I show up the guy asks if I want a loaner. I didn’t even know they had loaners, but they do and they’re free, so all good. There were two options: a truck or a Jimmy. I didn’t know what a Jimmy was but I knew I didn’t do trucks, so I opted for the Jimmy. The – come to find out – 200,000+ miles, sputtering AC, no automatic windows or lights Jimmaroo. Not a dream car, right, but whatever. I was getting my car fixed and it was going to be really reasonable, so no biggie, I can roll the windows down  for a day. 

But, of course, things are never quite that simple.

The next morning – still the proud driver of one white hot mess of a Jimmy – I had a little run in. It wasn’t a bad run in, or at least that’s what I thought at first, but it was a run in nonetheless, and it involved the Jimster. My history with cement pillars (any permanent structures in garages, really) isn’t the cleanest out there, and that morning didn’t help my record. As I was backing out of my spot in the garage (the spot, mind you that I had hand-selected so as not to have to back out of my usual kinda-tight-fit-might-not-wanna-risk-it parking spot), I sort of completely ripped off the driver’s side mirror and put some pretty hefty scratches and dents in poor Jimmy's side. Not excellent.

It was early morning, and I still had to be at work, so I went on my way. The mirror was hanging on by wires and kept banging into the car as I drove down the highway, so I just pulled it into the car and let the window (automatically rolled up and down, remember) hold it in place. Good morning to me! But that was just incident #1. Incident #2 was me getting back in the Jimster at lunchtime only to find that after all of the morning’s excitement I’d left the lights on (automatic, remember) and had completely run down the battery. Jimmy: 2 Amy: 0.

Long story short, the "reasonable" Volvo fix became pricier (just as I originally feared) once the rest was added in (accident #1 was hard to hide, but I didn’t feel like #2 was necessary to share with "management"). Moral of the story? I don’t even know. Maybe pick the truck next time?

Sweet, Sweet, Multi Vites

Are you guys vitamin takers? Until about three months ago I was not. I had good intentions – and a One A Day bottle sitting on my desk for probably two years – but there's nothing fun about taking a (G-I-A-N-T) pill every day. Or so I thought.

After my annual check-up this year I found out that my Vitamin D levels were low. Two things to note here: 1) I had recently read a book that had me on a semi-vegetarian kick, which was likely a contributing factor and fluke now that I'm back to my carnivorous self 2) that Vitamin D test, alone, cost me $336. In total, one visit to the doctor for a good 'ol checkup and routine bloodwork put me in the hole $850. Yes, I have insurance. No, it doesn't cover preventative care. So ridiculous. But that's a completely different post. Back to the vitamins...

Based on the (flukey but still cost me $336 to find out) news of my Vitamin D deficiency, I decided that I really should start taking a multivitamin vs. just having the bottle on my desk. Flashforward to me strolling through Target and passing an end-cap with gummy multivitamins. Wait a minute. Gummies that are vitamins. This could be something. And it was/is. Taking them every day is not a problem. In fact, the real issue is reminding myself that these aren't Haribo gummy bears and eating more than 2 per day is actually not okay. When I need a little munchy, oh how yummy they are. If any of you find yourself in a similar situation, give it a go. I'm onto my second bottle (told you I take them every day), and this one is super reasonable from Costco. Yumm!

Hello Sunshine!

*Disclaimer: If you are reading this and live in, say, Chicago...you might want to skip this post.*

Now for the rest of you...helllooooo spring! I actually started writing this on Saturday – enveloped in pure JOY – having just come inside from a couple glorious hours out by the pool with Lizzi. I, for one, am someone who can 100% get behind being able to lay out by the pool in March. Oh how I love what the next several months have in store!